Kansas gets $127,000 in Pfizer settlement

Topeka  Kansas will get about $127,000 as part of a $6 million settlement between Pfizer Inc. and 19 states requiring reforms in promoting an antibiotic, the attorney general's office said Monday.

The office said Pfizer promised to reform its advertising for Zithromax, a best-selling antibiotic for ear infections.

The states accused the company of misrepresenting the drug's performance by focusing on fewer doses per day and fewer days needed for medication compared with competitors.

Pfizer, which admits no guilt in the settlement, will pay $2 million for public service announcements concerning the proper use of antibiotics. It will provide $4 million to cover the cost of consumer education and other fees.

The other states were Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin.